Contemporary precision inertial navigation systems have eliminated the need for gimbals by supporting the inertial sensor assembly with a spherically-shaped gas-supported bearing. The gas-supported bearing allows rotation of the inertial sensor assembly in all axes with no wear due to contact between the rotating surfaces. During the flight of a craft, the angular position of the inertial sensor assembly (sometimes also referred to as the attitude, or roll, pitch and yaw of the inertial sensor assembly) relative to the frame of the craft must be monitored at all times. However, physical contact with the freely-rotating, gas bearing-supported inertial sensor assembly is undesirable. Consequently, a pressing need exists for a position determination method and system that can be used for sensing the angular position of the inertial sensor assembly without physically contacting the assembly.
Similarly, in other applications, such as, for example, in a manufacturing assembly line, objects being manufactured are scanned to determine their position on the assembly line's conveyor. A robotic system down-line from the scanner, and in communication with the scanner, is implemented to reposition the objects if necessary. Physical contact between the scanner and the objects is undesirable. Consequently, a need also exists for a position determination method and system that can be used for sensing the angular position of an object on an assembly line without physically contacting the object.